External and Internal Factors That Cause Hair Loss

Hair loss is a normal occurrence, as long as you lose a certain amount of it. Shedding 50 to 100 hair stands each day is considered normal, as an average person has 100,000 strands of hair. But if you lose more than that, you need to take the appropriate steps to reduce the amount of hair. Excessive hair loss could be a major symptom or side effect that could lead to total baldness.

Having beautiful and shiny hair is something to be proud on for almost everyone. Hair loss is something that you do not want to have. The reasons for this condition vary from person to person. It can be from hereditary reason, excessive use of harsh hair products, skin disorders, pollution, and many other factors. But people with hair loss problems have one thing in common: they are all miserable. Those who are suffering from it go through an emotional roller coaster. They feel this misery at some point and will take measures to regain their crowning glory.

When the loss of hair is already noticeable, the self-esteem and self-worth of a person could drastically decline. You cannot ignore this kind of hair disorder, especially for people who take offense of it as a sign of aging. The more it becomes visible, the more you become frustrated and agitated. Some people who are suffering from hair loss feel anxious and distressed and could lead to depression.

What Is Alopecia Areata?

Hair loss can also be a result of a health disorder. Alopecia areata is characterized by hair loss in some areas on the scalp only. as It is a hair problem that may affect an individual of any age group. Both adults and children can experience alopecia areata. The most noticeable sign of a patient suffering from alopecia areata is if he or she has bald spots. In some cases, the hair regrowth is stunted and patients will experience thinning hair.

The major reason behind alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder. As such, a healthy immune system is of utmost importance not just for overall health but also to keep a healthy mane. When there is an alopecia areata, the hair follicles become affected due to the immune system. It eventually uproots the strands of hair. Genetics can also be blamed for some people who have alopecia areata. A history of hair loss in the family has been one of the common causes of this disorder.

The degree of shedding and thinning differs per person. A hair or skin specialist can diagnose the underlying cause of the hair loss. Here’s a list of possible external and internal factors that can cause hair loss:.

External Factors That Cause Hair Loss

Hairstyle. The weave or cornrows you’re sporting could be the main reason for your frustration now. Hairstyles like these require being attached to the hair roots. Excessive pulling and tightening could cause breakage. Therefore, make sure that your hair is strong and healthy as your hairstyle can get your hair strands broken and vulnerable.

Continuous hair tightening and pulling may potentially become a hair disorder that is called traction alopecia. When these hairstyles are frequently used, the hair shaft is pulled during the process, which causes extreme and extended tension to the hair. This can easily damage the hair follicles. But if you avoid doing these hairstyles for longer periods of time the weakened follicles will get its much-needed rest. Supplementary treatment can also help regain your hair health from traction alopecia.

Chemicals. Straightening, coloring, perming, and everything that involves chemicals for perming or rebounding can be dangerous to your hair.

Using too much hair product can also cause hair loss too. Sometimes, a person who has a fear of hair loss resort to using too much hair care product. Continuous use of harsh chemicals can actually cause problems with the hair and the scalp because of too much buildup. The hair instead gets weak and sheds rapidly.

Hair Scarring and Pulling. There are a number people who have a habit of plucking their hair when they have nothing to do or who wish to get rid of white hairs. There are also some people who pull several hair strands quite forcefully out of habit to deal with psychological issues. Hair pulling can create scarring on the scalp and some bald patches in the process. Hair pulling can also cause inflammation and swell on the scalp.

Free Radicals. Did you know that the environment you’re in can also cause hair loss? Toxic chemicals and air pollution create free radicals that are harmful to your body. This is because free radicals can increase the rate of the aging process. If you have too many free radicals in your body, you’ll slowly get noticeable wrinkles, some facial dark-colored spots, to hair loss This is because these harmful substances can disrupt your body and cause oxidative stress, which could later on result to health disorders. They destroy the normal structures of the cells, including your precious hair follicles.

When antioxidant molecules are not present in the free radicals, the destruction caused by the oxidative increases. This contributes to faster effects of aging and the weakening of the defense mechanism of antioxidants. Several medical studies have revealed that this impairment is apparent in hair follicles, which can lead to permanent or temporary loss of hair.

Internal Factors That Cause Hair Loss

Protein Deficiency. The hair is made up of 90% proteins, which are essential in the repair and formation of tissues. When the body does not have enough proteins, one of the many side effects is hair thinning. This protein deficiency may also create other symptoms such as baldness and brittle hair.

Young men often suffer the most when there is a protein deficiency. Total baldness due to lack of protein is uncommon in women, but they may suffer from excessive hair fall. This is because if they have a prolonged protein deficiency. It is important to address the lack of protein in the body to be able to stop the hair loss.

Hereditary Baldness. This condition is also known by its scientific name: androgenetic alopecia. A person can inherit this hair disorder either from the maternal side or the paternal side of the family. Both men and women can get affected by this genetic hair condition. While women typically do not become totally bald, men are more likely to lose all their hair because of this hereditary trait.

Hormone Imbalance. Hormones are also responsible for hair growth. Extreme hair thinning and hormonal imbalance is usually linked to hormonal imbalance. For men, an imbalance in androgen will most likely be the culprit.

For women, estrogen imbalance causes hair shedding. Hormonal imbalance mostly happens in women, thanks to the various changes they experience such as childbirth, ovulation, menopause, puberty, pregnancy, fertilization, breastfeeding, menstruation, and so on.

But how does a hormone imbalance occur in the body? Hormonal imbalance occurs when there is a malfunction of the adrenal and thyroid glands by the pituitary gland. Hormonal imbalance can also occur if the pituitary gland is disturbed by the hypothalamus gland.

Thyroid Problems. When the thyroid gland is not functioning properly, the hair follicles are not developed well. Because of this, the hair goes through the process of dormancy. Eventually, the hair sheds down as the dormant stage is prolonged. This hypothyroidism condition also causes vitamin and protein deficiency. Your hair becomes coarse, brittle, and they die. Hypothyroidism will cause hair loss not only on your head, but in other areas too like the armpits, eyebrows, and genital area.

Stressful Events. The body is subjected to a lot of stress due to our hectic lives, responsibilities, and pressures from various aspects of our life. The hormonal changes that happen in the body go hand in hand with stress. Many different disorders show up because of stress, including anxiety and depression. Extreme hair loss is one of the effects of stress.

Taking certain medications to relieve stress may also result in hair loss as a side effect. As such, it is important that you only take medication as a last option and under advisement by your doctor. You need to learn how to manage stress in order to prevent hair thinning. Exercise regularly, get enough sleep, eat healthy foods, manage your time accordingly, and make some positive lifestyle changes are just of the many things you can do to avoid medication for stress.

Diabetes. A diabetic person is more likely to suffer from hair thinning. In fact, many diabetic patients experience hair loss even before the condition is properly diagnosed. A high blood sugar level may be the underlying cause of hair loss if the person has symptoms such as dry mouth, low energy level, frequent urination, feeling thirsty, and eyesight problems.

Diabetes is considered an adverse effect of an unhealthy way of life. Improper nutrition together with stress will definitely cause you to lose more hair than usual. If you have diabetes and notice a thinning of your hair, you may want to consult with your doctor now.

Final Words

If you are one of the millions of people who are facing severe loss of hair, make sure that you are looking for the right solution to prevent and minimize the disorder. You can start with knowing the real cause of your hair loss with your doctor and following the advice by heart. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and diet are also essential in keeping your hair full and healthy.

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2 Comments

Yes, a lot can cause hair loss like all you mentioned above. Great article and thanks for providing us all with this unique valuable information. This site is very insightful indeed.

Also, In past issues, I noticed a lot around hair loss is caused by smoking, Stress and depression. A lot people I know have gone through this even me so I like to thank you for creating such a site for us all to learn more.

I remember a few years ago my friend was going through issues where at night when she was sleeping she would pull out clumps of her hair. Doctors attributed it to stress in her daily life. She has since over come this with proper help from doctors. It was quite scary for her as she never realized that she was doing it while she was sleeping.